And You Are Mine
by Anawey
Summary: Bit different Frollo/Esmerelda. Starts off dark and wicked, but eventually changes.


And You Are Mine

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Bit different Frollo/Esmerelda. Starts off dark and wicked, but eventually changes.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Hunchback of Notre Dame. Just Amadea, Feodore, and Noelle.

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Note: The chapter names are in French. I'll explain each name at the bottom.

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Le Choix  
XxX

"You can still save yourself," Judge Claude Frollo growled, smirking wickedly.

Esmerelda glared at him. She hated this man, and she would not degrade herself for love of her own life. She would not allow herself to sink to such levels.

If Claude Frollo wanted her, he could have her cold, dead corpse.

"Choose me," the judge continued, "or burn."

Esmerelda was prepared to spit in his face, when she saw his eyes flicker to the many cages around the area. They held her friends, Phoebus, and so many others.

It was in that moment that she understood.

The quiet 'or burn' was not meant for her.

It was meant for the others. Frollo would not stop at just her. He would be even harder on the gypsies if she refused him, and so many would lose their lives needlessly.

Frollo might not realize it yet, but Esmerelda knew that was what he'd do. She couldn't let that happen.

"Fine," she hissed, watching the smirk on his face turn cruel and lustful.

"The witch repents!" he cried to the crowd. "And, as a pious man of the Church, and the Law, I shall take her into my house and endeavor to bring her soul back to God!"

A cheer rose from the people all around, and Frollo cut Esmerelda from the stake, taking her roughly by the arm.

"You consented," he reminded her when she struggled violently.

Esmerelda hung her head, and stopped fighting him. This was for her people. She could see more clearly than Frollo could himself the madness in his eyes, and she realized, for the first time, that perhaps Frollo needed her pity, rather than her hatred.

Perhaps he needed her help, and God's.

"_Esmerelda!" _

It was Phoebus. Esmerelda could see him straining at the bars of his cage, blond hair ragged with exertion.

Even from this distance, and in the light of burning Paris, Esmerelda could see the tears running down his face, and to keep even a shred of her sanity, she turned away.

She did not like Frollo. In fact, Esmerelda was fairly positive she would always hate the man.

But beside that hatred, she pitied him. He could have been a great defender of the people, if he was not so mad with his own power.

Frollo frowned when he heard his former Captain of the Guard cry out.

"Lock him away," he snarled. "And throw away the key."

Esmerelda gasped, and only now did she struggle.

"Please, I beg you, let me say goodbye!" she gasped, pulling toward the cage that held her love.

"I _love _him," Esmerelda sobbed. She couldn't bear the thought of Phoebus locked away forever because of her. "Please. Please.."

Frollo dragged her to the cage, only just close enough that, stretching, Esmerelda and Phoebus's hands could reach.

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From high in the bell tower of Notre Dame, Quasimodo cried for the beautiful gypsy he loved.

How could she give in?

Of course, he knew the answer. Frollo would never stop at just Esmerelda. She'd promised him something to keep him from hurting the other gypsies.

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Frollo pulled her away not a moment later, tugging her toward his carriage, and instructing the driver to go to the Palace of Justice.

Tomorrow, tomorrow he would become a married man.

And the gypsy witch would be his wife.

Esmerelda made no attempt to jump from the carriage. Not only would she never make it, but if, somehow, she did, Frollo would hurt so many in trying to find her again.

She couldn't let that happen.

So, instead of making a desperate break for her freedom, Esmerelda simply hung her dark head and sobbed quietly.

"Don't cry, my beauty," Frollo smirked. "You made a _wise _choice."

"Don't speak to me," Esmerelda hissed, glaring at him through her thick black eyelashes.

The glint in her emerald eyes was defiant, and Frollo was disgusted to find it only turned him on.

The primal desire rose in him until he had to wrench his gaze away from her and out the window. Even then he found his eyes would wander of their own accord back to the gypsy woman.

_She's a harlot, _he thought. _I'm doing her a favor. No other would take her._

On arrival at the Palace of Justice, Esmerelda was brought to a bedroom, and shoved at the bed.

Frollo looked at her one last time before slamming the door.

Esmerelda heard the lock turn, and her heart sank to her toes.

Defeated, she threw herself across the large bed, and sobbed into a pillow, her shoulders shaking.

For hours, all Esmerelda could do was cry.

She cried for Phoebus, for Quasi, and for herself (she would not admit that a small part of her tears were for Frollo; he was too cruel). Everything they'd tried to do had been for nothing.

_Everything._

After a while, the tears slowed, and eventually stopped.

Rising, she crossed the room, and stood at the tall, narrow window.

This was no way out. Even Quasimodo could not have helped her escape from here; the walls were sheer all the way to the ground. There was no chance for her to escape.

Esmerelda sat at the window for a long time, staring out into nothing.

The city was burning, but it was not Paris she saw.

She saw the faces of her people, of her friends, of Phoebus. How she would miss him.

And Quasi. Dear, dear Quasi.

Her poor friend would never know the world outside the bell tower now.

Frollo had forbiden it when he'd dragged Esmerelda away to be burned in the first place.

Esmerelda pulled herself away from the window, and dropped, exhausted, onto the bed. She fell into a dreamless sleep, too tired to care any more.

Her life was over. Why should she care?

XxX  
Chapter one. This is going to get icky, next chapter, so kiddies, you might want to skip that. Anyway, I hope you all liked this first chapter.

Review, please!

Chapter title: The Choice


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